Teen volunteer works water wizardry for Coastkeeper

Noah Thoron, a 16-year-old high school student and intern at the conservation group, San Diego Coastkeeper, with a diagram of the water sampler he designed to help with water monitoring.
— Howard Lipin

Noah Thoron, a 16-year-old high school student and intern at the conservation group, San Diego Coastkeeper, with a diagram of the water sampler he designed to help with water monitoring.
— Howard Lipin

After learning that an automated water sampling device needed for stormwater testing would cost $7,000, a 16-year-old San Diego Coastkeeper volunteer figured he could do better.

With a technical bent and an interest in robotics, Noah Thoron aimed to build a home-made version of the device for a fraction of that cost. Using off-the-shelf parts, he designed a water monitoring apparatus budgeted at about $500, and is raising funds to build it.

The project is part classwork, part community service and part DIY tinkering. For two years Noah, 16, has worked two days a week at Coastkeeper San Diego, through a required internship program at San Diego Met High School, located on the Mesa College Campus.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, he enters water monitoring data, sterilizes collection bottles and restocks collection kits used in the organization’s water monitoring program, which tests for bacteria and toxins in the region’s waterways. The nonprofit collects the data to help track contaminants that can damage stream habitat and pollute beaches.

Students must also complete a project as part of their internships. To satisfy that requirement, Noah recently drew up plans for the water sampling device, which would reduce the need for volunteers to collect water by hand during downpours.

Made up of spare parts and household items, it’s an economical and ingenious solution, said Travis Pritchard, water quality lab manager for the organization.

To highlight his unique version of an afterschool job, the U-T sat down with Noah to discuss his project.

Q: How did you come up with the device you’re planning?

A: Travis was one day telling me about his experience in agriculture. He was working with machines that would automatically sample water. They cost about $7,000 per unit. And I thought that was ridiculous, and I could do it for significantly less. I did some research, came up with schematics, priced out parts. And I came up with what we have, which came down from $7,000 to about $500.

Q: How does it work?

A: It’s pretty simple. We have the controller, which is the brain. We have the pump, which is basically a cake pan with a bike brake and some skateboard wheels in it, which I found on a micro-brewing website. It was considerably cheaper than the other pumps I’ve found which were industrial quality. The body is a trash can; it’s the simplest container that I have. Cheap, easy. The water goes in through the pump. It’s distributed through a valve array, and into the collection bottles.

Q: How would you use it?

A: Mostly when we would use it would be during the rainy season. In a stream, when it rains, pollutants from streets, backyards, lawns, dog poop, those all rush into the streams, and they start to be filled with toxins.

Q: How would the device improve stormwater monitoring?

A: In the past, we’ve had volunteers go and sit by a stream for eight hours a day, getting soaked to a bone, collecting bottles every hour. And we only have so many volunteers who are willing to do that. This would allow us to do it more efficiently.